Münkler is a regular commentator on global affairs in the German-language media and author of numerous books on the history of political ideas (German: Ideengeschichte), on state-building and on the theory of war, such as "Machiavelli" (1982), "Gewalt und Ordnung" (1992), "The New Wars" (orig.

In 2009 Münkler was awarded the Leipzig Book Fair Prize in the category "Non-fiction" for Die Deutschen und ihre Mythen (engl.

Münkler grew up in rural south Hesse in the early years of post-war West Germany.

During his time as a student, Münkler was a member of the Jusos (youth organisation of the Social Democratic Party of Germany).

In July 2011, he published an essay in the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel calling for more centralisation of power in the European Union.